Well, it has almost been a week now i have been off training with a niggling cold. Really wanna go hard but feel like i am jinxed now!!!
I joined the gym, after one week i did my back, came back from that for one session then got a really bad cold… DOH!!!
Oh well, gunna try and balance it a bit better now so i don’t run myself down.
j.
Oh no just a week to go before the 3 Peaks Cyclo Cross and still no training. If you want to see what this mad event is all about take a look at http://www.3peakscyclocross.org.uk/ . I’ve ridden it 5 times so know my way around pretty well but it never gets any easier - especially that last climb up Pen-y-ghent with the bike on your back. A few years ago it was so windly up there I saw someone get blown clean off their feet.
I better dig the cross bike out this weekend and give it a fettle - it’s been a couple of years since I’ve ridden it seriously as the Peaks was cancelled last year due to the foot and mouth scare.
I’m determined to get out on my bike for a decent length ride this weekend but my plans to do one tomorrow morning have been scuppered by a need to taxi the kids to various sporting events….so it’s looking like Saturday or Sunday afternoon - not my favourite time as I prefer to get training done in the morning.
Anyway, I feel this week has been quite succesful in terms of training as I cycled to work Wednesday, did 1hr 10min running on the hills last night (ipod track of the session - Alex Party, Read my Lips - can’t beat a mid 90’s dance classic if you’re in the mood) and cycled to work again today.
I’m really looking forward to next year when I can run with my dog in a morning. As she’s a pup we’re restricted to fast walks until she’s fully grown (although she ends up running everywhere anyway!!!)
There’s a festival in Saltaire tomorrow night so it might be a few beers and some live bands for me, the family and some friends…..perhaps training 1st thing Sunday might get delayed.
Well im losing my patience with the English summer. I havent been able to properly train for about 3 weeks because of rain, so I’m feeling more than a bit rusty. I want to be netting about 2 or 3 times a week if I can to try and get more rythm with my bowling and get back in the 1st team, but the weather is conspiring against me so it looks like i won’t be back in the first team this season now. But im planning on a hard working winter so I can be injury free next year and back in the 1st team. Its going to be gym, gym and more gym for me this winter.
Here’s how my week after a big lakes race looks (I’d like to know what the top lads do in comparison) :-
Sunday was very much a recovery day from the race and the beer!! Early to bed Sunday night ready for the week ahead.
Monday - walk with the dog first thing (she’s only a pup so no running yet but as she’s a border collie she’ll be helping my fittness regime next year). Then a very steady 40 mins trot home from work and an even steadier cycle back with my son to rescue the car.
Tuesday - 50 min run afetr work - not feeling too bad on the flat and downs but no steam on the hills. My iPod phones finally conked out tonight - I guess they just got fed up of being filled with sweat and rain….
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - felt OK so joined the lads at the club for a blast. I hung on with the fast boys for an hour of fast(ish) hills but then my wheels came off and the weekend really started to show its teeth. I had to let them go and trot the last couple of miles back at my pace.
Friday - quick spin out on the MTB with my son - his technical skills are really coming on well now and he’s starting to appreciate that there’s more to MTB riding than just blasting downhill.
Think I’ll do a couple of hours run tomorrow then we’re off to Dalby Forrest on Sunday to let my son have his first taste of a trail centre - he’ll love it!!
2 full hard weeks training completed after me hamstring strain and its going really well!! 2 more weeks of hard training, (track work,gym and court work) and then will take things down a few gears and get sharpened up and ready for the start of the season, mid september. 1st competition of the season is possibily the dutch open. hope everyones enjoyin the weather!
Well it’s Borrowdale Fell race on Saturday - one of the toughest races in the fell running calendar.
I’ve done it before in 05 and can remember quite a bit of it but unforunately, it’s always the bits that you can’t remember that are the worst.
I’ve been feeling pretty rubbish lately and struggling to get that floaty feeling when I’m out training. Went out for an hour on the bike Saturday - very steady with my son - then 30 mins run on Monday evening and a harder 1 hour run tonight. The weather was very warm which doesn’t suit me but I actually felt OK today. I’ll be resting up now to Saturday with probably a short spin on the bike tomorrow and a steady jog on Thursday.
There’s a big shin-dig after the race on Saturday and a few of us are camping so it should be a hoot. At least the thought of cold beer and live music should help to pull me round the 17 mile course and up and down Bessy Boot, Scafell, Great Gable and Dale Head.
Just got back from Italy where I’ve been training in the warm weather 
It was fairly near Florence but thankfully I didn’t have to make use of too many of the surrounding hills as my preparation for the Track Nationals and hopefully the Track Europeans has begun! I found a nice falt stretch of about 7km where I did some standing starts, zone 3 efforts and high cadence efforts. I go to Belgium tomorrow with the Olympic Development programme where I’ll be doing some racing and some more training as there is an outdoor track near to where we’re staying. My legs are starting to feel good now and I’m looking forward to the next few weeks!
Did 3 hours on the mountain bike (Marin Mount Vision) this morning.
It’s been a while since I’ve ridden my full susser and I really didn’t feel very ‘trail sharp’.
Still it was nice to get out with my old cycling pals for a muddy blast round the local trails. Thankfully one of them had been to a party last night and had too many cocktails so he was rough when he picked me up - this slowed him up and stopped them giving me a whipping up the first long climb (Alter Lane out of Bingley).
I really like to combine cycling with my running as I beleive it helps to develop my CV whilst being easier on the body (assuming I manage to stay on of course).
My mate Jamie completed the Wasdale fell race yesterday in 5 hours and 5 mins - he was dead chuffed - that’s one tough race!
This year for the first time, my running partner Robin Lawrence (Bingley Harriers) and myself are competing in the Powerbar 3 Peaks Yacht Race - starts 4pm Saturday 28th June.
The usual response I get from people when I say this is - “what!?”
Well, it’s a very unusual race where teams of 5 sail from Barmouth in Wales to Fort William in Scotland via Whitehaven in England stopping off to let two of the team run up and down the 3 highest mountains in Britain. Those who successfully reach the finish will have sailed 389 nautical miles, risking sandbanks, rocks and fierce tides. The 3 sailors aboard will get little rest as the race is continuous, and the 2 runners in the team must complete 72 miles and 14,000 feet of climbing to reach the summits of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis. No easy task when you may have to run at night, unsteady on your feet due to seasickness.
Robin and I have prepared well and are not too concerned by the land sections. However, as neither of us has any real experience of sailing, we are somewhat concerned about our sealegs…..we’ve been advised to focus on the horizon and drink orange juice as it tastes the same when it returns as it does when you drink it!!!
Robin and I are running for team Still Smiling (whether we will be after Ben Nevis - only time will tell) and the sailors (one of whom owns the boat) are very confident we can finish well up the field.
The race website www.3peaksyachtrace.co.uk has profiles on all the competing teams and there will be daily coverage, picture galleries and a race ‘leaderboard’ throughout race week on the adventure racing website www.sleepmonsters.co.uk. Positions at sea will also be tracked by satellite via the website.
Our thanks go out to our kit sponsors, www.hummel.dk, www.Inov-8.com and www.sportsshoes.com (follow my blog - see home page) who between them have made us look like pros - all we need to do now is run well so we’re not accused of having “all the gear but no idea!”.
Gym this morning before work, up at 6.45am …. A RIDICULOUS TIME FOR ME! But, like i say… not long now and i’m away this weekend so miss my session tomorrow and probably sunday depending on what time i get back.
Really not happy with my progress at the moment, i feel like i’m not making any gains… HELP!!! anyone have any suggestions on what i can do to kick start it all again?
James
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